This week we will be introducing some of our new staff to our whānau and community.
We would like to welcome: Moana Te Waaka
Previously, Moana was working as a kaiako for Kindergarten Taranaki and enjoyed this mahi for almost 10 years. Moana embarked on her journey at the kindergarten because her teaching style aligned perfectly with the delivery of a play-based curriculum, which will make her a valuable asset to our new entrant ākonga and the Year 1-2 team at Puketapu School.
Foundational to Moana's teaching approach is hononga, which emphasizes strong collaborative and communicative skills. She takes pride in her abilities of whanaungatanga, fostering connections and relationships, and believes that these qualities, along with her manaakitanga, are precious treasures inherited from her tīpuna.
Moana is deeply committed to supporting Māori students in their journey to succeed within the education system while embracing their Māori identity. She has embarked on a personal quest to reclaim her cultural language and heritage, which has granted her a profound understanding of tikanga me te reo Māori.
Nau mai haere mai Moana
